


Boats and Skates

by WeaglesAndBrobeans



Series: Stick and Puck [5]
Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: Fishing, M/M, Roope asks TK to take him fishing, The most random rarepair of all time, This is just 3k of Teeks and Hintz on a boat, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-16
Updated: 2020-09-16
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:34:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,869
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26502214
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WeaglesAndBrobeans/pseuds/WeaglesAndBrobeans
Summary: It was freaking frigid. But Roope was the one who asked TK to take him fishing. There wasn’t much else TK ever talked about in the off season, and Roope wanted to experience it. It would be hypocritical to whine about it now.Slapping his thighs and standing from where he’d been crouching, TK caught Roope’s eyes with a grin. “We’re ready to go!”___Literally just Teeks and Hintz on a boat.
Relationships: Travis Konecny/Roope Hintz
Series: Stick and Puck [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1567933
Comments: 9
Kudos: 17





	Boats and Skates

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know exactly how this came up but the group chat wanted to explore the TK/Roope dynamic in the context of fishing so this was born. 
> 
> There's no reason for them to be together or to even be friends, but I felt no need to explain any of that. Just embrace the rare pair if you wish.

Roope sat snuggled in his sweatshirt, shivering against the bite of the early morning air. He’s not exactly someone who sleeps in late, but by contrast to TK who was whistling and buzzing around the boat, Roope felt like anything _but_ a morning person.

Before the sun was even considering peeking over the horizon that morning, TK had gently jostled Roope awake and shoved a banana and a muffin into his hands.

“Bring a sweatshirt bud,” he’d whispered in a gruff morning voice. “It’s gonna be a bit chilly until the sun wakes up.”

He was right. It was freaking frigid. But Roope was the one who asked TK to take him fishing. There wasn’t much else TK ever talked about in the off season, and Roope wanted to experience it. It would be hypocritical to whine about it now.

Slapping his thighs and standing from where he’d been crouching, TK caught Roope’s eyes with a grin. “We’re ready to go!”

Plopping in the captain’s seat, TK leaned back, one foot up on a cup holder, the other stretched straight in front of him. Roope couldn’t help but let his eyes wander over the man as he started the boat and pressed on the handle to accelerate away from the tiny wooden dock. His eyes alight with glee, he somehow managed to look peaceful and jittery all at once. Roope wondered if he ever looks this way when he’s doing anything. Probably not.

As cold as he felt, the wind pushing through his hair as they accelerated felt nice. The buzz of the motor and the sloshing of the water as they cut through it reminded him of a setting on those sound machines you use to sleep or zone out. It was nice. 

When the boat jumped on a wave and jolted downward a yelp of surprise escaped Roope’s lips. He hadn’t seen it coming and as much as he trusted TK, a skitter of adrenaline ran through him.

“You okay?” TK hollered over the noise, eyeing Roope with a gleam of challenge in his eyes.

Roope flushed and bit his lip before nodding. With his assent, TK sped the boat up all the more even aiming for the waves so they could bounce and jostle their way further out into the sound.

They’d decided to rent a boathouse on the Puget Sound for this little trip. TK had heard the fishing was excellent (which it had been, he’d yet to come home empty handed) and Roope wanted to go on a whale watching excursion.

Seeing the giant Orca’s jump up and crash back into the water was incredibly satisfying. It took him back to his childhood, watching for dolphins and sperm whale during their trips to Iceland. Some of his fondest memories were out on the Norwegian Sea. And now, with two days left on their trip, Roope had surprised TK by asking to join him fishing.

The sound of the engine cutting snapped Roope out of his thoughts. TK was already up and rustling around the back of the boat. Crouching near the tackle box as he worked some bait onto the hook of one and then a second fishing pole.

“We’ll see how this spot does, and then maybe head out even further later,” he chattered. Roope liked that about TK. He knew Roope wasn’t versed in this stuff, but instead of talking down to him or worse, not sharing at all, he just carried on as if he was out here with anyone else.

TK got Roope situated with his pole, showing him out to flick the line out, and then they settled. Each lounging in a chair, fishing pole nestled in their hands as the boat rocked lightly to the shifting of the sea they perched upon.

Story after story spilled from TK as the morning stretched on and Roope found himself relaxing into his seat to chipper cadence of his friend’s voice.

On the verge of drifting off, Roope startled awake to the excited shout of TK who had stood suddenly and begun reeling in his line.

“I got something! Feels small though. Hope it’s not trash or some shit,” TK prattled on. Carefully setting down his pole, Roope stood slowly and stretched for a moment before stepping in behind his smaller friend. He watched, interest piqued, as whatever was on TK’s like breached the surface.

Roope cringed and stepped back as TK doubled over in choking bouts of laughter. “Wow,” he enthused through snorts of laughter. “Never caught a sea cucumber before!”

Sea cucumber indeed.

The slimy fleshy blob hung from TK’s hook as all of its contents sludged down filling the base of the ‘cucumber’. It was, to be frank, disgusting.

“You’re not keeping it are you?” Roope questioned dubiously.

A sharp grin spread on TK’s tanned face. “Oh it’s a delicacy Hintz. You chop it all up and put it in mushroom soup. Tastes like snot. You’re gonna love it!”

Roope gagged and looked away. “Throw it back. That’s not a fish.”

He refused to glance back until he heard a cackle and splash and felt a slap on his ass.

“There you go, you big baby,” he taunted. “Let’s go out a little further. See what we can find.”

Locking the poles back in place and checking to make sure Roope had found a good seat, TK eased the boat back up to the speed from before.

This time, Roope was sitting at the very back of the boat, hand clinched around a metal cleat as they picked up pace. Eyes slipped shut, Roope tipped back his head and reveled in the salty spray of water as it misted around him, hair flopping in the wind. He could get used to this.

Once again, the boat settled, but Roope sat for a moment, just soaking in the sun on his cheeks and the gentle sway of the boat. He felt TK’s thigh press against his as the brunette sat beside him on the small seat.

“Feels good doesn’t it?” he asked, voice soft unlike it had been all morning. “I think I could go live on a houseboat after I retire. There’s just nothing like being out on the water.”

They sat for a moment in silence. TK has a lot to say, but Roope appreciated that it wasn’t necessarily an attempt to fill the quiet. He just had a lot to say. So in moments like this, he seemed to have no problem just relishing in the stillness of the open sound.

A seagull squawked overhead and water splashed against the side of the boat, but it all added to the moment. Roope felt settled in a way he hadn’t in a long time.

A calloused hand pushed back Roope’s long hair and he squinted his eyes open to find TK turned towards him, eyes tracing his face intently.

“Do you want to fish for a bit then maybe pull out lunch and swim before heading back in?” he asked, voice still in that soft low tone from a moment ago.

Roope sat quiet, unrushed as he watched the way the breeze brought the chaos of TK’s dark hair to life, the way his eyes sparkled like the sea caps under the sun, the way his warm skin glowed in the daylight.

“Yeah,” Roope agreed. “I’m gonna get the catch of the day,” he declared with a teasing smile. He could’ve sat there watching TK forever. Probably. But, challenging the Canadian felt safer. 

TK’s entire face lit up. “Oh you’re on buddy!”

Unhooking the poles from where he’d locked them down earlier, he handed Roope his pole and scrambled to the other side to cast.

“A two-part bet!” he yelled. “First catch, and biggest catch!”

Roope grinned as he cast his own line. “What are the stakes?”

Ideas were tossed around. Winner picks dinner escalated to winner picks tomorrow’s plans which escalated to loser has to do whatever the winner wants for the night.

The conversation prattled on towards other topics and it wasn’t long before Roope was quietly enjoying TK’s storytelling skills once again.

“So I’m really fucking wining and dining her you know? And I can make a mean enchilada let me tell you. And at first I’m thinking I’m glad she likes spicy food because my grandma, you know Kathy, sent these fresh peppers from her garden and they’re hot let me tell you, keep a glass of milk beside you hot. But then I make like, the worst decision of my life because we go straight from dinner to the bedroom and I’m thinking I’m gonna blow her mind with some serious foreplay, but I forgot I’d just been eating peppers. So I go down on this chick and next thing I know she’s screaming and grabbing at her pussy and shoving my face away, yelling about how bad it burns. And what am I supposed to do right? So I run to the kitchen and come back and fucking dump a glass of milk on her pussy to try and help cause that helps the mouth so why not? I’ve never felt worse in my life dude,” he choked out through tears of laughter.

Roope too was laughing full on at the insanity. Part of it was the situation, and to be honest, part of it was just TK. Heart of gold fucking TK, ending up in that situation.

As peals of laughter floated into the afternoon, a tug caught Roope’s attention.

“Oh!” he yelped with excitement. Another big tug. “TK it, I think,” he stammered out as his line began to shoot out. He managed to stop the handle and new immediately that whatever he’d caught was big.

TK had noticed the shift and locked down his pole before rushing over to help Roope. “Oh I think you got a good one Hintz,” he crowed.

“Let it out a bit, there you go. Now reel, reel, reel!” After a few minutes of instructions, Roope began to worry he was gonna mess this up. And he really wanted this catch.

Glancing over, Roope shifted the pole towards TK. “Can you?” he asked, eyes wide.

TK nodded and took over the pole, releasing and reeling releasing and reeling. “I’m wearing it out,” he explained. If it thinks it’s getting away and then I tighten the line, it slowly draws him towards us. See!”

The end of the pole lodged into his tan and taught hip, he used his other hand to point at the water. Sure enough something had begun to appear. It wasn’t a fish.

“Shit what is it?” Roope asked, pulling his phone out to document the creature in case the line broke. They weren’t in the clear yet.

It shimmered white under the water, arms flapping like the animal version of a kite. “Is that a sting ray?” he asked.

TK squinted down at it as he continued to release and reel. “I mean maybe. I don’t know if the sound has rays. Something like it though, for sure.”

In a few minutes it was very close to the surface of the water. “Hey Roope, grab me that net over there,” TK ordered, still straining to keep the huge creature on the line. “Now you take the pole, and I’m going to scoop it up.”

Roope gaped for a moment. “You’re gonna put that thing in here with us?”

The concern led to a wide smile splitting TK’s face. “Gotta secure your victory Hintz.”

The cockiness faded the moment the net hit the deck, pitching back and forth from the flopping creature. Both hockey players squeaked and jumped back.

“I’m uh, gonna google to see what we’re dealing with,” TK said breathlessly as Roope climbed onto the captain’s seat to take pictures from a safe distance.

The search revealed that this was not, in fact, a manta ray. It was a skate.

“Ha,” Roope joked. “Gonna tell Benn I caught a skate on my fishing trip. No laces though.”

The two grinned at each other stupidly for a moment before a loud thwack reminded them that the large sea creature was still very much alive and flopping around the deck.

“Okay,” TK said, as he walked towards it.

“Careful,” Roope cautioned, blushing as TK waggled his eyebrows.

“Worried about me baby?”

Grin fighting with his attempt at a pout, Roope murmured “fuck off.”

TK crouched, gripped the rod of the net, and maneuvered it so the skate was on its back, beady eyes and wide mouth gaping up at them. He pulled on some gloves and reached for it. “Read that you control it by the mouth,” he explained as he reached his hand into the creature’s mouth.

It bit down.

“Oh shit!” TK hissed, pulling his hand back, glove abandoned in the mouth of the creature.

Rushing forward with fear coursing through him, Roope grabbed TK’s hand. “It bit you?!”

“No,” TK huffed, eyes still wide. “I got it out in time. I’m fine.”

He tapped Roope’s hand before pulling his own away. Stooping he snatched the glove back out of the skate’s mouth. “Little fucker,” he chirped as he leaned down again.

“TK you’re crazy,” Roope accused. He had half a mind to beg his friend that they toss it back and move on. No need to lose any limbs.

“Risk his half the fun Hintz,” TK assured in the least assuring way possible.

This time he gripped at the jaw and immediately pulled up. It worked. The large diamond shaped fish stilled in his grasp.

“Open that latch will you?” TK asked waving at a lid in the flooring that Roope hadn’t noticed until now. Pulling it open he found a deep water-filled cooler imbedded into the boat.

TK plopped the skate into the cooler and shut the lid before locking it. “That’ll keep it fresh until we get back to the dock.”

Roope nodded quietly, watching TK stretch and push his hair back. “That was quite the catch Roope. I’ve never seen anything like it,” he laughed. “Lunch and then a swim?”

Roope nodded. “Lunch yes. Swim, I don’t know anymore TK. Anything could be down there.”

TK hooted. “It’s basically the ocean Hintz. Anything IS down there.”

The two settled in the seats at the front of the boat, munching on the sandwiches they’d thrown together the night before.

“Do you want some music on?” TK offered between bites.

Taking a moment to consider the offer, Roope realized he liked the sound of the water just as it is.

“Uh no. Not unless you want to. I think I like the sounds here already.”

“What, me chewing on Doritos?” TK joked. But he nodded, and settled further into his seat. “You know my brother Chase; he always has to have country music blasting when we fish. And Patty always puts on his indie music when we go out. But when I fish alone, I just keep it quiet. I let the lake be the music.”

Roope smiled softly at TK’s confession. “You can have radio anytime. But this,” he gestured towards the open water. “This you only get here.”

TK grinned and nodded. “Exactly!”

For just a moment, the two just watched each other. Roope swept his eyes over TK’s deceptively thick torso, his full shoulders, his wind-chapped lips. Slowly, he leaned over, hand supporting his weight on the bench TK perched on. Brushing the unruly hair back, Roope paused. He glanced from TK’s crooked mouth, to his earnest brown eyes and back.

TK made the choice to close the gap. Gently pressing upwards, his spine straightening to lean up into Roope’s waiting mouth.

The kiss stayed sweet for a moment before shifting into a hungry press. Their hands began to wander and Roope crawled up onto TK’s lap, stooping down to kiss where his neck meets his shoulder.

Something about it felt earnest and eager in a way that only TK ever was. Roope loved it.

What he didn’t’ love was TK’s knee jerk reaction to shift his weight and launch Roope over his head and into the water.

Sputtering as he surfaced, Roope cursed at TK in every language he’d acquired over the years, but TK just cackled and then dove in next to him.

Swimming right up to Roope, he grinned sheepishly, searching Roope’s face for any genuine anger.

“Why would you do that?” Roope whined and TK pressed closer, his chest brushing Roope’s as they tread the water. The cold of the water had hardened TK’s nipples and Roope hissed as they brushed his chest.

TK wrapped his legs around Roope’s waist, rolling his hips into the taller man’s. “So I could do this,” he drawled, rolling his hips again and pulling Roope in for a wet, salty, searing kiss.

That evening, the two were puttering in toward the dock at sunset, bone weary from a full day in the sun (and in each other, but they would never tell).

“Thank you,” Roope whispered into TK’s neck. He was in the captain’s chair with TK on his lap, arms wrapped around him. “I think I’d suffer another fishing trip some day.”


End file.
